HISTORY is awash with stories of children fighting over
inheritance while their fathers are on their death beds across all cultures.
Where there are issues of the throne, the fights have been
more agonising and could involve death as some children leave no stone unturned
in the quest to inherit their fathers’ influential positions in the community.
Zanu PF has failed to escape the same trap. The fissures
are amplifying with President Robert Mugabe advancing in age. The party is
imploding with Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Team Lacoste and G40
factions at each other’s throats.
Deliberations at last week’s politburo meeting have all but
confirmed the fights are over inheritance of Mugabe’s throne using the loyalty
card as a strategy to be anointed.
“There are basically no ideological differences between
these factions. It is all like brothers competing for the father’s love so that
they can get the inheritance,” political analyst Alexander Rusero said.
“If you look at the politburo deliberations these days, it
is all about factions trying to tell Mugabe that I love you more than the other
and I deserve the biggest share of inheritance.”
And true to Rusero’s observation, G40 has been presenting
itself as loyal to Mugabe and accusing Mnangagwa of being too ambitious and
ruthless. On the other hand, Mnangagwa in his politburo presentation last week
cited his 40 years of unbroken loyalty to Mugabe.
Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, in one of his many attacks
on Mnangagwa two months ago, revealed the fights were all about inheritance.
“Go to the Bible and look at how King Solomon was
appointed. David was very sick, he was very frail and one of his sons,
Adonijah, slaughtered over 50 beasts and anointed himself, assisted by Joab,
who was a general in the army.
“Joab and Adonijah were working together. In the meanwhile
the reality happened, and David installed Solomon and those who had anointed
themselves failed completely. Those are lessons you must learn.”
Mugabe is now under pressure from G40 members to name a
successor, who is believed to be Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi. Newsday
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